Container trimming apparatus

ABSTRACT

An improved apparatus for trimming an irregular open end of a container body is disclosed. The improved trimmer cartridge includes a sealed gear housing, for retention of interior lubricant and to reduce contamination. An adjustment mechanism, accessible from the exterior of the housing, is provided to adjust a gap between two blades of the trimmer cartridge. The adjustment mechanism provides improved control over the gap width, which is between 8-25% of the can metal thickness. Additionally, a tang that is removably connected to a shaft for a first blade provides rotational power for the trimmer. The tang is replaceable without requiring the housing to be opened or requiring replacement of the blade shaft. Another blade shaft is provided for a second blade, with the two blade shafts having substantially equal mass. The trimmer also includes spur gears, which do not have the thrust load associated with prior art helical gears.

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSerial No. 60/354,562 filed on Feb. 5, 2002.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an improved apparatusfor trimming the open end of a container prior to being sealed, and moreparticularly to trimming the open end of aluminum beverage can bodiesafter the can bodies have been drawn and ironed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The invention relates to an improved apparatus for trimming theuneven surface of an end of aluminum can bodies after the can bodieshave been drawn and ironed. Aluminum cans are manufactured from flatsheets of aluminum, which are initially formed into small cups that aremuch shorter and have a larger diameter than typical finished aluminumcans, such as twelve ounce beverage cans available in the retail markettoday. The cup is further processed by drawing and ironing, to elongateit into a full can body and reduce the diameter. This process producesan irregular surface of uneven height around the circumference of theopen end of the can body. This irregular open end can create problems infurther processing of the can. For instance, the can may be rejected ata later step of processing called “the necker” for being out ofspecification, or if it passes through the necker and is filled andsealed with a lid, the seal may be defective due to the irregularsurface at the open end of the can, which may lead to failure of thecan.

[0004] One way of reducing the likelihood of the can being rejected at“the necker” or resulting in failure due to an inadequate seal caused bythis irregular surface, is to trim the open end of the can prior tofurther processing. Typically, a rotary can trimmer is incorporated intothe production line downline from the can body maker equipment. Afterexiting the body maker, can bodies are typically loaded into an infeedchute that places the can bodies into a star wheel, which feeds the cansto the trimmer. As the cans rotate around the star wheel, they reach thetrimmer cartridge one at a time. Prior art trimmer cartridges such asthe rotary can trimmer available from Belvac Production Machinerytypically include a pair of substantially parallel rotating blades orknives that open and close to allow the can body to be placed inposition for trimming and to be removed after trimming is complete.Prior art blades are spaced apart by gap of about 0.0010±0.0002 inches,in a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction. Theblades typically overlap in the vertical direction when in a closedposition to shear the irregular surface from the top of the can body.

[0005] Once a can body reaches the trimmer cartridge of the prior art,it is typically held by a vacuum in a horizontal position or a positionperpendicular to the opening and closing direction of the blades withthe open end of the can toward the blades, placed so that one blade isinside the can body and the other blade is outside the can body. Withthe blades closed, the can body is then rotated to cause the blades totrim the entire circumference of the can. After trimming is complete,the can body is removed from the trimmer cartridge and dischargedthrough a chute for further processing, such as cleaning, printing, andnecking. The trimmed waste piece is discarded away from the trimmer.

[0006] Prior art trimmer cartridges have several problematic features.One problem caused by the size of the gap between the blades in theprior art is that the can body may be left with burrs or a jagged edge,particularly at the stop/start point in trimming. A burr or jagged edgeat the top of the can body may result in rejection of the can body atdownline equipment or result in a defective seal, which are the types ofproblems that trimming is designed to overcome. Also, the gap betweenthe blades in prior art trimmers is usually only adjustable from insidethe housing, requiring the cartridge to be removed to make an adjustmentin the gap. The gap is also typically set using shims, which are morelikely to be inaccurate or cause fluctuations in the gap duringoperation.

[0007] Additionally, the housing of prior art trimmers, such as theBelvac trimmer, is usually not sealed to hold in lubricant and keep outcontaminants. Aluminum shavings and body coolant are possiblecontaminants that can enter the equipment in a non-sealed system,resulting in more down time for cleaning and repair.

[0008] Another drawback of prior art trimmers, such as the Belvactrimmer, is found in the tang, which connects the trimmer cartridgehousing to the trimmer equipment and provides rotational power to thetrimmer cartridge. Tangs are typically square or octagonal, designed tofit in a corresponding opening in the trimmer machine to be rotated andin turn to rotate one of the trimmer cartridge shafts. The rotation onthe tang can cause the edges of the tang to be worn or rounded,requiring the tang to be replaced. Usually, a prior art tang is anintegral part of the trimmer housing or an integral part of a bladeshaft located within the housing. When it is necessary to replace orperform maintenance on the tang, prior art trimmer cartridges have to beopened, and typically the entire tang and shaft have to be replaced.This increases the downtime required to make the replacement or performthe maintenance, which ultimately increases the expense involved.

[0009] Still another problematic feature of prior art trimmer cartridgesis the use of helical gears. Although helical gears have theiradvantages, they also have their disadvantages. The primary disadvantageassociated with helical gears is that the angle of their teeth creates athrust load on the shafts on which the gears are mounted, which must becarried by bearings. A further drawback of prior art. trimmer cartridgesrelates to the shafts on which the blades are mounted. The use ofhelical gears, which create thrust on the shafts that rotate the bladesis another problematic feature of prior art trimmers. Typically, theseshafts are not the same size and consequently are of unequal mass.Temperature changes in the trimmer cartridge will cause unequal thermalvariations in the shafts because of the mass differential. These thermalvariations create fluctuations in the spacing of the blades, which canresult in inconsistent or inadequate trimming of the cans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention provides an improved apparatus for trimmingthe irregular surface of the open end of an aluminum can after the canhas been drawn and ironed. This invention may also be used to trim othertypes of metal containers, but is preferably used for aluminum beveragecans.

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the disclosed trimmer apparatusincludes two rotating blades to cut the top edge of the can. Theseblades are preferably substantially parallel to each other. Otherembodiments may be used according to the invention, including anembodiment where only one blade is used in combination with a rigid orsemi-rigid cutting surface for the single blade to cut against. In apreferred embodiment, a rotating stationary blade is mounted on a shaftthat does not allow horizontal or vertical movement of the stationaryblade and a rotating pivoting blade is mounted on a shaft contained inan inner housing that allows both horizontal and vertical movement ofthe pivoting blade. Other configurations, such as where both bladeshafts are capable of horizontal or vertical movement, or where oneshaft is capable of horizontal movement and the other capable ofvertical movement, may be used and are within the scope of theinvention.

[0012] Another feature of a preferred embodiment of the trimmerapparatus is that the pivoting blade moves in a direction, mostpreferably in a vertical direction, to cause the blades to open andclose around a can body being trimmed. Preferably, the pivoting blade ismounted on a pivoting blade shaft partially contained in an innerhousing of the trimmer cartridge. The entire inner housing, includingthe pivoting blade shaft, the pivoting blade, an adjustment shaft, andbearings, move vertically to open and close the blades. The -openposition allows placement of a can body to be trimmed and ejection ofthe can body once trimming is complete. Trimming takes place while theblades are in the closed position.

[0013] The blades preferably overlap while in the closed position,resulting in a fixed cut width of about 0.156 inches. Trimmer cartridgesin the prior art, such as the Belvac trimmer, have cut widths that areadjustable, which typically results in variations in the cut. A fixedcut width results in more standardized cuts with fewer occurrences ofburrs or other irregularities in the cut end of the trimmed can.

[0014] An additional feature of a preferred embodiment of the trimmerapparatus is that the two blades are spaced apart in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to the opening and closing direction by agap that is between about 8-25% of the metal thickness of the can, andmost preferably between about 8-15% of the metal thickness of the can.In a preferred embodiment, this gap is adjustable by an adjustmentmechanism, including an adjustment nut and an adjustment screw,accessible from the exterior of the trimmer apparatus, although otheradjustment mechanisms may be used according to the invention. As will beunderstood by those skilled in the art, and as described in more detailbelow, the adjustment mechanism causes the inner housing, which containsa portion of the pivoting blade shaft to move in this perpendiculardirection, which is typically horizontal, to change the width of the gapbetween the two blades.

[0015] Another feature of the invention is that the gear housing of thetrimmer apparatus is sealed sealing mechanisms, with O-rings being thepreferred embodiment of sealing mechanism. The sealed housing preventscontamination, such as metal shavings and body coolant, from entering orbuilding up inside the housing, which may lead to malfunction of thetrimmer apparatus and hinder the rotation and movement the of the shaftson the interior of the housing. Reduction of contaminants reduces theamount of downtime needed to clean and repair the trimmer apparatus.Additionally, the sealed housing maintains an adequate lubrication forthe moving parts contained therein. Although it is preferred that thehousing of the trimmer apparatus be sealed, an unsealed housing may beused according to the invention.

[0016] Still another feature of a preferred embodiment of the inventionis that the mass of the stationary blade shaft is substantially equal tothe mass of the pivoting blade shaft. The use of shafts of equal, ornear equal, mass reduces the amount of thermal variation between the twoshafts, as the impact of temperature fluctuations will be substantiallythe same. It is preferred to reduce as many variables in the trimmerapparatus as possible, including those created by thermal variations, toavoid variations in the cut width and the gap between the blades duringoperation. Shafts of unequal mass may also be used within the scope ofthe invention.

[0017] Another preferred feature of the invention is the use of a tangaccessible from the exterior of the trimmer cartridge housing andextending through the housing to connect to and rotate one of theshafts, preferably the stationary shaft. The tang is preferablyremovable without requiring the cartridge housing to be opened andwithout requiring removal of the shaft that it rotates. This permitseasier and faster replacement of the tang when necessary. Additionally,a tang of the preferred embodiment of the invention is square oroctagonal. Although it is preferred to use a square or octagonal tangthat is replaceable without opening the housing and without also havingto replace the shaft, other tang configurations may be used according tothe invention.

[0018] Still another feature of a preferred embodiment of the inventionis the use of spur gears. Preferably, four spur gears are used incombination with four shafts, including the two shafts on which theblades are mounted, a third, idler shaft that is part of the mechanismto adjust the gap between the two blades, and another idler shaft. Theuse of spur gears reduces the amount of thrust on the shafts, which alsoreduces fluctuations in the cut and gap widths between the blades. Othertypes of gears may be used according to the invention, but spur gearsare preferred.

[0019] A final feature of a preferred embodiment of the invention is theuse of a motion translator mechanism that translates motion to adirection that is substantially perpendicular to a motion translatorshaft. This motion translator causes the opening and closing movement ofthe inner housing, pivoting blade shaft, adjustment shaft, and pivotingblade to open and close the blades. Further, the opening and closingmovement occurs while maintaining the pivoting blade in a planesubstantially parallel to the stationary blade so that the gap betweenthe blades remains substantially the same during the translationmovement.

[0020] These features, described in detail below, may be used singularlyor combined to trim cans with decreased variation in the resultingtrimmed edge. The use of the trimmer apparatus of the invention may alsodecrease the amount of downtime in the can-making process necessary forrepair or replacement of various parts of the apparatus and decrease thefrequency with which cans are rejected in processing down line from thetrimmer and the frequency of failure in sealed cans due toirregularities in the trimmed edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and form a partof the specification to assist in explaining the present invention. Thedrawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are notintended as exact representations of the embodiments of the presentinvention. The drawings further illustrate preferred examples of how theinvention can be made and used and are not to be construed as limitingthe invention to only those examples illustrated and described. Thevarious advantages and features of the present invention will beapparent from a consideration of the drawings in which:

[0022]FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of one side of a preferredembodiment of a trimmer cartridge apparatus of the present invention;

[0023]FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of section 2 of FIG. 1;

[0024]FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of a closed position of cutter bladesaccording to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0025]FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of a cutter end of a trimmercartridge according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0026]FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

[0027]FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 4;

[0028]FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 1;

[0029]FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 4;

[0030]FIG. 9 shows an elevational view of an end opposite that of FIG.4;

[0031]FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0032] The following describes a preferred embodiment of a trimmercartridge according to the present invention by reference to FIGS. 1-10.Although the preferred embodiment is described, the description is notintended to limit the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.The drawings described are for illustrative purposes only and are notexact scale representations of the embodiments of the present invention.In these drawings, the same reference characters are used throughout theviews to indicate like or corresponding parts. The embodiments shown anddescribed herein are exemplary of a preferred embodiment of theinvention. Some details of the trimmer apparatus and its method of useare well known in the art, and as such are neither shown nor described.Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the presentinvention have been described in the drawings and accompanying text, thedescription is illustrative only, and changes may be made, especially inmatters of arrangement, shape and size of the parts, within the scope ofthe invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaningof the terms used in the claims.

[0033]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a trimmer cartridge 10, accordingto the present invention and more particularly, illustrative of apreferred embodiment of the present invention. The trimmer cartridge 10includes a stationary cutter 12 and a pivoting cutter 14 that trim anopen end of a can body (shown as a dashed line). The can body is held ina horizontal position on a star wheel (not shown) and inserted ontrimmer cartridge 10 by having a bottom side of the open end of the canbody placed between stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14 and atop side of the open end of the can body placed around guide pins 16.The can body is placed so that stationary cutter 12 is located in theinterior of the can body and the pivoting cutter 14 is located on theexterior of the can body.

[0034] Stationary cutter 12 is referred to as “stationary” because itpreferably does not move vertically or horizontally, while pivotingcutter 14 does pivot vertically and moves horizontally, as describedbelow. Both cutters rotate. Stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14are shown in an open position to allow insertion of the can body priorto trimming and discharge of the can body after trimming. Duringtrimming operation, these cutters will be in a closed position asdescribed below.

[0035] During trimming, stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14rotate, as does the can body. The rotational speed of the cutters isdetermined by the line speed of cans coming from the body maker. Oncethe can body has made a complete revolution and trimming is complete,the can is removed from the trimmer cartridge and eventually sentthrough a discharge chute to be further processed. The trim piece ortrim ring is left hanging on guide pins 16. A cover plate 18 slides tothe end of guide pins 16 to eject the trim ring, which falls down avacuum chute and is taken away from the can making process. Cam drivenlost motion rods (not shown) cause movement of the cover plate 18 toeject the trim ring.

[0036] A tang 20 is also depicted in FIG. 1. Tang 20 extends throughouter housing 22 and is removably connected to a shaft on whichstationary cutter 12 is mounted and tang 20 provides rotational power tothat shaft. Tang 20 is most preferably square, but may also be octagonalor some other suitable shape. The shape of tang 20 corresponds to asimilarly shaped opening in a trimmer machine (not shown). The openingin the trimmer machine causes tang 20 to rotate, which in turn causesthe shaft and stationary cutter 12 to rotate. The rotational forces maycause the edges of tang 20 to become worn or rounded, causing slippageinside the opening in the trimmer machine and decreasing theeffectiveness of rotation. Therefore, tang 20 needs to be periodicallyreplaced. Due to the placement of tang 20 and its removable connectionto the shaft on which stationary cutter 12 is mounted, tang 20 may bereplaced without requiring the outer housing 22 be opened and withoutrequiring replacement of the shaft. Tang 20 is preferably secured to theshaft on which stationary cutter 12 is mounted to achieve the removableconnection by means of a setscrew. The shaft has a flattened areaagainst which the setscrew is tightened. To replace the tang 20, thesetscrew is loosened, the old tang 20 is removed, and a new tang 20′ isslid into place, and the setscrew tightened against the shaft to securethe new tang 20′ in place.

[0037] Additionally, outer housing 22 is preferably sealed by O-rings(not shown) to protect the gears and other moving parts fromcontamination caused by metal shavings and body coolant. Without suchsealing, these contaminants are free to enter and build up inside thehousing, which may lead to malfunction of the trimmer cartridge andhinder movement of the parts contained in the housing, which wouldrequire more frequent maintenance and increased downtime. Additionally,the sealed outer housing 22 maintains an adequate lubrication for themoving parts contained therein.

[0038]FIG. 2 is a detailed view of section 2 of FIG. 1, showing adetailed view of stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14 in the openposition. Stationary cutter 12 includes a stationary blade or knife 24.Pivoting cutter 14 includes a pivoting blade or knife 26. Stationaryblade 24 and pivoting blade 26 are preferably substantially parallel toeach other. These blades are preferably made of carbide, but othermaterials made be used according to the invention. Again, stationarycutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14 are shown in an open position, as seenby the vertical space between stationary blade 24 and pivoting blade 26.When in a closed position, pivoting cutter 14 moves vertically so thatpivoting blade 26 contacts floating ring guard 28. Floating ring guard28 is preferably made of steel, but other materials may be usedaccording to the invention.

[0039] When closed, pivoting blade 26 pushes against floating ring guard28 so that ring guard 28 compresses a piece of rubber with an x crosssection 30 (not shown). This rubber is harder to compress and thereforemore stable, causing less fluctuation in the position of the bladesduring rotation, than the O-rings used in the prior art. Although theuse of the x cross-section rubber 30 is preferred, other shapes,including an o-ring, may be used in accordance with the invention.

[0040] Stationary blade 24 and pivoting blade 26 are spaced apart by agap 32. Gap 32 is in a direction substantially perpendicular to theopening and closing direction of pivoting blade 26, which is horizontalin the preferred orientation of FIGS. 1 and 2. This gap 32 is preferablybetween about 8-25% of the metal thickness of the can body beingtrimmed, more preferably between about 8-15% of the metal thickness, andmost preferably about 10% of the metal thickness. Current canthicknesses are about 0.0058±0.0004 inches. Based on this currentthickness, gap 32 is preferably between about 0.000432 and 0.00145inches, more preferably between about 0.000432-0.00087 inches, and mostpreferably between about 0.00054-0.00062 inches. As described in moredetail below, gap 32 is preferably adjustable from the exterior of outerhousing 22, without requiring outer housing 22 to be opened.

[0041]FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of stationary blade 24 and pivotingblade 26 in a closed position. The mechanism for opening and closing theblades is described in detail below. In a closed position, stationaryblade 24 and pivoting blade 26 overlap in a vertical direction asdepicted in FIG. 3. This overlap results in a cut width that ispreferably about 0.156 inches. Some prior art trimmers have adjustablecut widths; however, a preferred trimmer cartridge according to theinvention has a fixed cut width to reduce variations during trimming.

[0042]FIG. 4 shows an elevational view of a cutter end of a preferredembodiment of a trimmer cartridge according to the invention. The cutterend of trimmer cartridge 10 is the far right side of the cartridge asdepicted in FIG. 1. Guide pins 16 are located around the upper portionof stationary cutter 12. These guide pins 16 assist in placement of thecan body prior to trimming and retention of the trim ring until the canbody is removed after trimming. The top side of the can body is placedaround the outside of guide pins 16 while the bottom side of the canbody is placed between stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14.After trimming is complete, cover plate 18 slides to the ends of guidepins 16 to eject or push off the trim ring.

[0043]FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.Stationary cutter 12 is mounted on stationary blade shaft 34, which isremovably connected to tang 20. Pivoting cutter 14 is mounted onpivoting blade shaft 36, which is partially contained in inner housing38. Inner housing 38 also houses zero-end-play bearings 40 for pivotingblade shaft 36. Preferably, inner-housing 38 is sealed from outerhousing 22 by O-rings (not labeled). Additional zero-end-play bearings40 are found along stationary blade shaft 34. Preferably, stationaryblade shaft 34 and pivoting blade shaft 36 are of substantially equalmass. The use of shafts that are of substantially equal mass reducesvariations between the shafts caused by thermal changes, as such changeswould have substantially the same impact on the shafts.

[0044] Tang 20 rotates stationary blade shaft 34, which in turn causesrotation of pivoting blade shaft 36 through a series of spur gears(shown in FIG. 7). Keyed spur gears 42 for shaft 34 and shaft 36 arealso depicted in FIG. 5. These gears are keyed to rotate with theirrespective shafts.

[0045] Pivoting blade 26 pivots between and open and closed positionwith respect to stationary blade 24. The blades are depicted in an openposition in FIG. 5. The direction of movement of pivoting blade 26 whenpivoting between an open and closed position is substantiallyperpendicular to the length of pivoting blade shaft 36. In the preferredorientation depicted in FIG. 5, the opening and closing direction isvertical. When pivoting blade 26 is in a closed position, pivoting blade26 pushes against floating ring guard 28, which moves slightlyvertically, so that pivoting blade 26 can slightly overlap stationaryblade 24. Preferably, when pushed by pivoting blade 26, floating ringguard 28 compresses a piece of rubber 30 with an x-shaped cross-section.The use of an x-shape makes the rubber piece 30 more stable because itis harder to compress.

[0046]FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.Pivoting cutter 14 is capable of movement in a direction along thelength of pivoting blade shaft 36 and substantially perpendicular to thelength of pivoting blade shaft 36, which is in the horizontal andvertical directions in the preferred orientation of FIG. 6. Horizontalmovement of pivoting cutter 14, which adjusts the width of gap 32 (notshown), preferably occurs through an adjustment mechanism accessiblefrom the exterior of outer housing 22. Preferably, trimmer cartridge 10includes an adjustment shaft 44 that is partially contained in andconnected to inner-housing 38. One end of adjustment shaft 44 isthreaded and horizontal movement of adjustment shaft 44 (or movementalong the length of the shaft) is achieved by turning adjustment screw46. As adjustment shaft 44 is connected to inner-housing 38 byzero-end-play bearings 40, horizontal movement of shaft 44 causeshorizontal movement of inner-housing 38 and its contents, includingpivoting blade shaft 36. Movement of pivoting blade shaft 36 in turncauses movement of pivoting cutter 14 and pivoting blade 26.

[0047] Adjustment screw 46 is accessible from the exterior of outerhousing 22 through adjustment access point 48. This allows adjustment ofgap 32 without requiring outer housing 22 to be opened. Additionally, asreduction in variation of gap 32 during trimming operations is animportant aspect of the invention, the adjustment mechanism of theinvention includes a locking mechanism to hold adjustment shaft 44 inplace once the desired gap 32 has been set. An adjustment nut 50 isplaced in relation to adjustment screw 46 so that a locking piece 52 onadjustment shaft 44 fits into the slot between adjustment screw 46 andnut 50. This prevents further horizontal movement of adjustment shaft 44until it is desired to make an adjustment. Although this is thepreferred configuration for adjusting gap 32, other configurations maybe used in accordance with the invention.

[0048]FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view along line 7-7 of FIG. 1.Stationary blade shaft 34 is rotated by tang 20 (not shown), whichcauses rotation of spur gear 42 a keyed to shaft 34. Rotation of thatkeyed spur gear 42 a causes rotation of non-keyed spur gears 54 a and 54b, which rotate on idler shaft 56 and adjustment shaft 44, but do notcause rotation of those shafts. The non-keyed spur gear 54 b ofadjustment shaft 44 causes rotation of spur gear 42 b that is keyed topivoting blade shaft 36, thereby causing rotation of that shaft. The useof spur gears does not have the thrust on the shafts associated with theuse of helical gears in the prior art. Although spur gears arepreferred, other types of gears may be used according to the invention.

[0049] A preferred trimmer cartridge according to the invention alsoincludes a motion translator 58 that translates motion and power in thedirection of the length of the shafts (which would be horizontal motionof the shafts of FIGS. 5 and 6, for instance, or motion in and out ofthe page in FIG. 7) into motion and power in a direction perpendicularthereto (which would be vertical motion, or motion up and down the page,of FIGS. 5 and 6). A motion translator shaft 60 and cam plate sliderkeys 62 connected thereto move in and out of the page of FIG. 7. This inand out motion causes cam plate 64 to move vertically, or up and downthe page of FIG. 7. Cam plate 64 is connected to inner housing 38through a series of motion translator linkages 66 that cause the innerhousing 38 to pivot vertically. This vertical movement causes pivotingblade 26 (not shown) to pivot between an open and closed position inrelation to stationary blade 24 (also not shown).

[0050] In FIG. 7, movement of shaft 60 into the page causes cam plate 64to move up the page, resulting in movement of pivoting blade 26 (notshown) to a closed position. Likewise, in FIG. 7, movement of shaft 60out of the page causes cam plate 64 to move down the page, resulting inmovement of pivoting blade 26 (not shown) to an open position. The spacebetween stationary blade 24 (not shown) and pivoting blade 26 (notshown) while in the open position is about 0.13 inches to allowinsertion of a can body between the blades. When in the closed position,stationary blade 24 (not shown) and pivoting blade 26 (not shown)slightly overlap to provide a fixed cut width of about 0.156 inches.Motion translator 58 allows pivoting blade 26 (not shown) to movebetween an open and closed position while maintaining pivoting blade 26(not shown) in a plane substantially parallel to that of stationaryblade 24 (not shown). This mechanism substantially maintains the gap 32(shown in FIG. 2) set between the blades.

[0051]FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 4.Motion translator shaft 60 preferably receives power through cam-drivenexternal power button 68. External power button 68 is compressed to movemotion translator shaft 60 along its length (or horizontally asdepicted) and to compress the springs 70. The movement of the motiontranslator shaft 60 also causes movement of cam plate slider keys 62,which are connected to shaft 60. Through the motion translator 58described above, the horizontal movement of shaft 60 and slider keys 62are translated into vertical movement of inner housing 38, which in turncauses vertical movement of pivoting cutter 14 to pivot between an openand a closed position.

[0052]FIG. 9 shows an elevational view of an end opposite that shown inFIG. 4 of a preferred trimmer cartridge according to the invention.External power button 68 and tang 20 are depicted.

[0053]FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view along line 10-10 of FIG. 9.This view again depicts external power button 68, springs 70, motiontranslator shaft 60, cam plate slider keys 62, and cam plate 64previously described.

[0054] The preferred trimmer cartridge 10 described is operated by firstsetting the width of gap 32 by adjusting adjustment screw 46 andadjustment nut 50 through the adjustment access 48 located on theexterior of outer housing 22 as shown in FIG. 6. This adjustment causesmovement of adjustment shaft 44, inner housing 38, and pivoting bladeshaft 36 along the length of these shafts. Lubrication is also added tothe trimmer cartridge 10 as needed prior to use and is contained bysealed outer housing 22 and inner housing 38. The trimmer cartridge 10is then placed in a trimmer machine so that tang 20 is aligned with andinserted in a corresponding opening in the trimmer machine and so thatexternal power button 68 is aligned to receive power from the trimmermachine as shown in FIG. 8. The cartridge is then ready to receive cansfor trimming. The cartridge need not be removed from the trimmer machineuntil it is desired to adjust the gap 32 or until the tang 20 needs tobe replaced or other interior maintenance is needed.

[0055] As previously described, can bodies are loaded on a star wheelafter passing through the body maker and are fed to the trimmercartridge one at a time. The cans are held in a position parallel to theshafts 34, 36 of stationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14 (shown inFIG. 5) by a vacuum. The can is placed so that the top portion of thecan is around guide pins 16 and the bottom portion of the can is betweenstationary cutter 12 and pivoting cutter 14, which are in an openposition. During trimming, the can is rotated.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8, motion translator shaft 60 receives powerthrough external power button 68 to move along its length. Movement ofmotion translator shaft 60 also causes movement of cam plate slider keys62, which push against cam plate 64 (not shown) causing it to move in adirection substantially perpendicular to the length of motion translatorshaft 60. Movement of cam plate 64 (not shown) causes movement of innerhousing 38 and pivoting blade shaft 36 in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the length of shaft 36. This series of movements pivotspivoting blade 26 to a closed position to trim the can body.

[0057] As further shown in FIG. 8, stationary blade shaft 34 is rotatedby tang 20, which also rotates stationary blade 24 and a spur gear 42 a(not shown) keyed to shaft 34. As shown in FIG. 7, keyed spur gear 42 alikewise rotates non-keyed spur gears 54 a and 54 b. Non-keyed spur gear54 b rotates spur gear 42 b, which is keyed to and rotates pivotingblade shaft 36. Rotation of pivoting blade shaft 36 rotates pivoting,blade 26 (not shown). Blades 24 and 26 rotate as the can body beingtrimmed rotates to trim the open end of the can body.

[0058] Once trimming is complete, the motion translator shaft 60 movesback to its starting position, thereby moving cam plate slider keys 62,cam plate 64, inner housing 38, and pivoting blade shaft 36 back totheir starting positions. This return movement opens pivoting blade 26to allow the trimmed can body to be removed from trimmer cartridge 10for further processing and to prepare to receive the next can body to betrimmed. The trim ring remains on guide pins 16 and is ejected bymovement of cover plate 18 to the end of guide pins 16. Cam-driven lostmotion rods cause movement of the cover plate 18 to eject the trim ring.Once the trim ring is ejected, the trimmer cartridge 10 is ready toreceive the next can to be trimmed.

[0059] A can body trimmer cartridge apparatus and its operation aredescribed according to the invention. It will be understood by those ofskill in the art that variations in the components or arrangement ofcomponents described may be made within the scope of the invention.

1-7. (Cancelled)
 8. A can trimmer apparatus comprising two blades and anadjustment mechanism to adjust a gap between the blades, wherein theadjustment mechanism is accessible from the exterior of the trimmerapparatus.
 9. The can trimmer apparatus of claim 8 further comprising: afirst shaft on which one of the blades is mounted; a housing connectedto the first shaft; a second shaft connected to the second blade atleast partially contained in the housing; and wherein the adjustmentmechanism comprises an adjustment screw accessible from the exterior ofthe trimmer apparatus, wherein rotation of the adjustment screw movesthe second shaft in a direction along its length to adjust the gapbetween the blades.
 10. The can trimmer apparatus of claim 9 furthercomprising a locking mechanism to substantially maintain the position ofthe second shaft once the gap is adjusted.
 11. The can trimmer apparatusof claim 8 wherein the gap is about 8-25% of the thickness of the metalof a can.
 12. The can trimmer apparatus of claim 8 wherein the gap isabout 8-15% of the thickness of the metal of a can.
 13. The can trimmerapparatus of claim 8 wherein the gap is about 8-10% of the thickness ofthe metal of a can.
 14. The can trimmer apparatus of claim 8 furthercomprising a sealed gear housing.
 15. The can trimmer apparatus of claim14 wherein the housing is sealed by o-rings.
 16. The can trimmerapparatus of claim 8 further comprising spur gears.
 17. A can trimmerapparatus comprising: a first blade mounted on a first shaft; and asecond blade mounted on a second shaft, wherein the first and secondshafts are about the same mass.
 18. The can trimmer apparatus of claim17 further comprising: an adjustment mechanism to adjust a gap betweenthe first and second blades, wherein adjustment of the gap is in adirection perpendicular to the direction of movement between the openand closed positions; and a motion translator to translate the directionof motion of the second blade between the open and closed positions withsubstantially no motion in the direction of the gap.
 19. The can trimmerof claim 18 further comprising a sealed gear housing.
 20. The cantrimmer apparatus of claim 18 wherein the gap is about 8-25% of thethickness of the metal of a can.
 21. The can trimmer apparatus of claim18 wherein the gap is about 8-15% of the thickness of the metal of acan.
 22. The can trimmer apparatus of claim 18 wherein the gap is about8-10% of the thickness of the metal of a can.
 23. The can trimmer ofclaim 18 wherein the adjustment mechanism is accessible from theexterior of the apparatus.
 24. The can trimmer of claim 23 wherein theadjustment mechanism comprises: an adjustment screw; an adjustment nut;and a locking mechanism.
 25. A can trimmer apparatus comprising ahousing and a power connection accessible from the exterior of thehousing, wherein said power connection is replaceable without openingthe housing.
 26. The can trimmer of claim 25 wherein the powerconnection is a tang.